Centering Pregnancy is an alternative method of providing prenatal care with increased education and social support with health assessment in a group setting. This study, a cross-sectional, correlational, convenience-sample design, sought to determine the difference between women who receive prenatal care in Centering Pregnancy prenatal care and those in traditional prenatal care in regards to health behaviors. Adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation. The sample comprised primarily White low-income women. Using multiple linear regression, it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with the traditional care group (p = .01); those in Centering Pregnancy reported engaging in fewer health-promoting behaviors. Furthermore, those in Centering Pregnancy reported a lower perceived value of prenatal care in the current study. No differences were observed for smoking and weight gain behaviors between groups. A number of health behaviors changed during pregnancy for both groups but no significant differences were found.

Preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW) babies are the source of a large burden of infant, neonatal, and childhood morbidity. The purpose of this project was to expand the use of the CenteringPregnancyTM Group Prenatal Care Model as an evidence-based intervention for management of both medical and psychosocial risk in low-income, ethnic and racial minorities in New York City. The standardized model developed by Schindler Rising decreases the incidence of preterm birth and low birthweight and increases the rate of breastfeeding. A CenteringPregnancyTM program implementation plan, customized to meet the needs of a multisite urban hospital system, was coordinated with the Centering Healthcare Institute to ensure method fidelity while allowing for an individual site's needs based upon patient demographics and provider mix. Program evaluation showed that the logic models supported implementation and expansion of Centering Groups at 2 federally qualified health centers, with adequate progress toward site approval, method fidelity scores, and favorable patient and staff satisfaction ratings using the CenteringCountsTM data collection system. After a total of 4 Centering group cohorts with 26 women, 7 at high medical risk, 4 delivered preterm (11.5%), 2.3% less than the institutional average PTB rate of 13.8%. One out of 26 women delivered a LBW infant. Twenty-two of 24 women (92%) initiated breastfeeding compared to the institutional average of 89%. To foster a change in policy toward Centering as the default option for prenatal care, ongoing evaluation is required to assess the reduction of and fiscal impact on preterm and low birthweight rates to offset the cost of implementation.

This quasi-experimental study compared family formation and perceived partner support among pregnant adolescents in a prenatal care program. Participants were assigned to either an intervention group utilizing centering pregnancy (CP) prenatal care and case management, or to a comparison group receiving case management only. Partners were invited to participate in CP group sessions. This study included 173 predominantly minority pregnant adolescents ages 15–18 years who were enrolled in a prenatal program and followed one month postpartum. Family formation included living and relationship arrangements. Perceived partner support included six domains of perceived social provisions. Data were collected through participants’ self-reports using computer-assisted self-interviews. Changes in family formation and perceptions of partner support from baseline to postpartum did not differ between intervention and comparison groups. Male partners who attended at least one CP session were perceived as more supportive at both the beginning and end of the program than partners who did not attend any sessions. After combining groups, pregnant adolescents reported a significant shift in family formation and increased monetary support from partners from baseline to postpartum. Partner support is important for ensuring positive pregnancy outcomes. Additional strategies are needed to engage young fathers who do not readily provide support during pregnancy.